Review of Woodland. Family Portrait
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Jacqueline Wattam
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Review of Woodland. Family Portrait
[Following is a volunteer review of "Woodland. Family Portrait" by Art Lionson.]
Wow. If I had to sum up my experience reading Woodland: A Family Portrait by Art Lionson, my word would be, Wow. I know that wow can mean so many things and is both descriptive and not at the same time, that is exactly why I chose it. That is not to say that the book was not descriptive, but that the details I could give you about the book wouldn't break the surface to the world you were brought into. From a family that would go to the ends of the world for each other, to a society that is crumbling before your eyes. There are moments where you get to witness compassion, honour and loyalty in a world devoid of most of it. A truly remarkable story with a hero, of course. Or many, depending on how way you look at it.
You follow two brothers who have only known the world the way it is to them and that's rough. With a sick sister and bills pilling up, Eddie and Jason do whatever they can to help. That's working extra long hours to help pay the bills, taking your sister to the doctor and picking up the medication, but it's also, smiling as she tells you stories about her day, picking on your brother so she can be in on it and being a critique to the best artist you could have ever have laid your eyes on. With the many ups and downs and more downs, then maybe some ups, and some more downs, you will be baffled that you did not anticipate even half of it. The foreshadowing is there and you may take a moment to ask yourself, "Why was this mentioned?" But it's not until it slaps you in the face, do you get the gravity of what you just learned.
During the book I was on the edge of my seat, I felt like I was having heart palpitations and I was worried about how it was going to end. There were times of great hope and even more times of great sorrow. The book was like an onion, you had your main story, then on top of that another story and another story and so on. When you finally caught on to the conspiracy of the book it was too late, you were just as helpless as the people you saw suffering in the book, you were Eddie or Jason or Kate or any number of individuals that by no choice of their own, did they end up the way they did. The world did that to them.
In my opinion, Woodland: A Family Portrait deserves a rating of 4 out of 5. The only negative I could mention is about the loss of people in this book and the lack of ability to say goodbye. Although I understand that it goes with the symbolism of the story and the world. I felt that the story was incredible with so many different layers, both with the story line itself and the characters. You have the time to get to know them and watch them grow and when new characters come, it feels like fate. I was caught off guard so many times in the book and that just made me want to read more. When judging a book, a huge factor for me is how the book made me feel and I remember the first time; I cried, the first time I gasped in shock, the first time I thought my heart was going to explode and most importantly, I remember every goodbye that I didn't get a chance to give. Heroes come in all shapes and forms, so Thank you Art Lionson for reminding me of that and Thank you for this journey. The only thing left to discuss; Are you Team Eddie or Team James? Read the book so you can find out!
******
Woodland. Family Portrait
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Wow. If I had to sum up my experience reading Woodland: A Family Portrait by Art Lionson, my word would be, Wow. I know that wow can mean so many things and is both descriptive and not at the same time, that is exactly why I chose it. That is not to say that the book was not descriptive, but that the details I could give you about the book wouldn't break the surface to the world you were brought into. From a family that would go to the ends of the world for each other, to a society that is crumbling before your eyes. There are moments where you get to witness compassion, honour and loyalty in a world devoid of most of it. A truly remarkable story with a hero, of course. Or many, depending on how way you look at it.
You follow two brothers who have only known the world the way it is to them and that's rough. With a sick sister and bills pilling up, Eddie and Jason do whatever they can to help. That's working extra long hours to help pay the bills, taking your sister to the doctor and picking up the medication, but it's also, smiling as she tells you stories about her day, picking on your brother so she can be in on it and being a critique to the best artist you could have ever have laid your eyes on. With the many ups and downs and more downs, then maybe some ups, and some more downs, you will be baffled that you did not anticipate even half of it. The foreshadowing is there and you may take a moment to ask yourself, "Why was this mentioned?" But it's not until it slaps you in the face, do you get the gravity of what you just learned.
During the book I was on the edge of my seat, I felt like I was having heart palpitations and I was worried about how it was going to end. There were times of great hope and even more times of great sorrow. The book was like an onion, you had your main story, then on top of that another story and another story and so on. When you finally caught on to the conspiracy of the book it was too late, you were just as helpless as the people you saw suffering in the book, you were Eddie or Jason or Kate or any number of individuals that by no choice of their own, did they end up the way they did. The world did that to them.
In my opinion, Woodland: A Family Portrait deserves a rating of 4 out of 5. The only negative I could mention is about the loss of people in this book and the lack of ability to say goodbye. Although I understand that it goes with the symbolism of the story and the world. I felt that the story was incredible with so many different layers, both with the story line itself and the characters. You have the time to get to know them and watch them grow and when new characters come, it feels like fate. I was caught off guard so many times in the book and that just made me want to read more. When judging a book, a huge factor for me is how the book made me feel and I remember the first time; I cried, the first time I gasped in shock, the first time I thought my heart was going to explode and most importantly, I remember every goodbye that I didn't get a chance to give. Heroes come in all shapes and forms, so Thank you Art Lionson for reminding me of that and Thank you for this journey. The only thing left to discuss; Are you Team Eddie or Team James? Read the book so you can find out!
******
Woodland. Family Portrait
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Rescuing General Patton by Curtis Stephen Burdick
